


Sexual Panic

by Eliyes



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-27
Updated: 2013-09-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 18:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliyes/pseuds/Eliyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cadet Areel Shaw is hot for teacher (in the person of Lt.(j.g.) Kirk).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sexual Panic

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before the series begins. Areel is from the episode "Court Martial" (a personal favourite). 
> 
> This story was originally posted on Livejournal February 19, 2010.

 

"Excuse me, may I sit with you?"

Areel Shaw, Starfleet cadet, looked up from her textbook with something akin to shock. _This can't be happening,_ she thought, but there were the Lieutenant's stripes on his sleeve, the broad shoulders, the handsome face she usually only saw from a distance.

"Um, yes, sure. I mean, yes, _sir_."

James T. Kirk smiled -- at _her!_ \-- in a friendly way, then set his tray and a stack of datareaders on the table. She'd never been close enough before to discover that his eyes were almost the same shade of golden-brown as his hair. And so were his eyelashes.

Terrified of being caught staring, Areel dropped her gaze to Kirk's lunch, cataloging it automatically: roast beef sandwich with spinach, side of potato salad, coffee, pear. She compared this to the pasta salad she was eating and silently went into a panic about her doubtlessly offensive garlic breath. Oh, God, _why_ did he choose to sit with her _today?!_ Or at all, although it wasn't uncommon for instructors to dine with cadets, especially the junior officers. But she hadn't noticed him in here before, so why now? Why _her?_

"I'd like to ask you a question, Shaw," Kirk said, and for a moment she feared she'd said some of that out loud -- _oh, please, no._ Fortunately, instinct kicked in, and she straightened in her seat.

"Yes, sir?" She did her best to project attentiveness, which her mother said made her look like a spaniel and she was _not thinking about that now._

"I was looking at your transcripts --" Here he gave her a small smile of apology for the intrusion, even though it was his right to do so as her instructor; she rather desperately wished she knew _why_ he'd been doing it, though. "-- and I notice a trend. Tell me, do you have a particular career path in mind?"

"Yes, sir," Areel said nervously. Kirk took a bite of his sandwich, watching her face expectantly, so she continued: "I want to work as an attorney with the Judge Advocate's office."

Kirk nodded as though she had confirmed something he'd suspected. Areel watched him take a sip of his coffee, noting that he pursed his lips when he swallowed, which was really kind of adorable --

"In that case, I'd like to make a suggestion," Kirk said seriously.

Little warning bells went off in Areel's mind. _Please, please let him_ not _be about to discourage me,_ she thought. The Federation counted on Starfleet for a number of things, including the enforcement of Federation law. Areel was passionate that the peacekeepers must be lawful and just internally to impose order externally. If Kirk were about to join the ranks of people who didn't think she could handle it, she would have to hate him.

_I don't want to hate him; I really, really like him!_

"I think you should join the debate club," he told her.

"The... debate club?" It was so completely not what she'd been expecting that Areel felt a little dizzy. Or maybe she'd been holding her breath.

"Yes, the debate club!" Kirk shifted in his seat, crossing his legs and incidentally turning to face her. "Look, Shaw, the assignments you've done for me are always well-researched and persuasively written, but you hardly ever speak up in class!"

 _I can't!_ Areel thought at him. _I have this massive crush on you that makes me tongue-tied!_

Kirk had been picking up half of his sandwich, but when she failed to respond he set it back down and gave her a considering look.

"An attorney has to be able to argue a case, right?"

She nodded.

"Against another lawyer -- and the one with the best argument wins. I know I'm simplifying."

"Well, the facts of the case play the largest role --"

"Ah, but you must be able to present them in a way that logically leads to the decision you're arguing for, isn't that right?"

"Yes, sir."

"The debate club would be good practice for that, Shaw."

"I -- I suppose it would." Maybe she'd learn how to talk sensibly in the presence of really attractive men.

And then James T. Kirk smiled at her again, his eyes warm with good humour, and Areel's heart skipped a beat. It would probably take more than a debate club to conquer that smile.

"You're not convinced," he observed.

"Well --" Areel began, then realised she had no idea how to respond. "Are you in the debate club?" she asked, then cringed internally at how _obvious_ she'd just made her silly schoolgirl crush.

"Technically I am, although, as an instructor, I rarely get to debate. It's really for the cadets."

Areel hit upon an idea.

"Alright, lieutenant, show me the skills you developed -- present your argument."

Kirk's smile widened enough to show a hint of teeth.  


**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be Chapter One of a longer story which it turns out I can't actually write, because the plot required a character (not seen here) to behave in a way which I no longer see as in character. "Sexual Panic" was originally just the chapter header, and is a phrase directly borrowed from Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books, because Miles uses it to describe the way he just goes on "look at me I am awesome/God, I'm such a loser" overdrive when he meets someone he's attracted to. (This tends to lead to him acquiring überloyal mercenary fleets, etc.) That's... sort of what happens here. ;3


End file.
